Lee Ellis's Blog, page 215
March 11, 2018
On This Day in Leadership History, March 11th
On this day in leadership history in 1990 in Chile, Patricio Aylwin was sworn in as the first democratically elected president since 1973. Despite resistance from elements of the Chilean military and government after his election, Aylwin was staunch in his support for the Chilean Truth and Reconciliation Commission which exposed the Chilean government’s brutalities.
What’s the leadership lesson? Honorable leadership can win over corruption and power. Commit to do the right thing everyday in your work.
Patricio Aylwin – Wikipedia
The post On This Day in Leadership History, March 11th appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
March 9, 2018
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, March 9, 2018
“Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not between states, nor between classes nor between political parties, but right through every human heart, through all human hearts.” – Alexander Solzhenitsyn
The post Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, March 9, 2018 appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
March 8, 2018
Balancing Intuition and Strategy – Higher Thinking Article
In our western culture, leaders are generally driven by data and metrics in daily decision-making. The other side of the leadership equation, though, is a leader’s abstract intuitive skills.
Lee dives into this topic—check it out on the CLA Higher Thinking Blog and comment on your experience too – thank you
The post Balancing Intuition and Strategy – Higher Thinking Article appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
March 6, 2018
The Career Path of Star Wars Creator, George Lucas
Great leaders know that you can learn many valuable lessons from the journey of other leaders. In this interesting clip Star Wars creator, George Lucas, shares his academic and career path that led him to creating films. Please take a few minutes and let us know what you think –
The post The Career Path of Star Wars Creator, George Lucas appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
March 5, 2018
3 Ways to Avoid a Bad Leadership Reputation
By Lee Ellis
During his time as a political prisoner in the gulag of the Soviets, Alexander Solzhenitsyn came to a radical but revealing conclusion about the human problem of corruption and dis-honorable behavior –
“Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not between states, nor between classes nor between political parties, but right through every human heart, through all human hearts.” [Tweet This]
Faithful Guardian Companions
If you’re honest with yourself, you realize that he’s right in that we’re all vulnerable to this issue in our quest to be honorable leaders. That’s why accountability is so important. Accountability is the guardian companion of honor. It helps us keep our commitments, diligently perform our duties, and live by the values we proclaim. It can keep us from drifting off course and perhaps most importantly help us correct back quickly when we do drift.
In my most recent book, I zero in on the core components of the Courageous Accountability Model
—Character, Courage, and Commitment.
The Three C’s
Character provides the ideal and expected values and associated behaviors that will enable us to live and lead with honor. We laid out the seven core behaviors of character and call it the Honor Code. Almost everyone would agree to these basic tenets in the Honor Code; but when we reflect honestly on our personal experience, we know they are very difficult to keep. Given the right circumstances, this knowledge of duty—of right and wrong—can be rationalized and ignored. We need courage to keep us on track.
Courage is essential to living up to our character ideas. Without it, we will fold when faced with difficult choices. Winston Churchill once commented that –
“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities…because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” [Tweet This]
Without courage, we’ll not be able to live up to our desired character values—doubts and fears will take us out and we’ll fold under pressure. We must always be ready to counteract our weakness by employing the Courage Challenge—that is, leaning into your doubts and fears to do what you know is right, even when it feels unnatural, unsafe, or uncomfortable. Following this path requires an extreme commitment.
Commitment is like an ever-present mirror that reminds us of our vows, our obligations, our loyalties, and our duties. We cannot look aside and pretend we don’t notice that we’re violating our character. Commitment reflects back as a reminder of who we are and what we stand for.
Getting Daily Results
Most of us recognize that good character is the foundation of leadership because it is fundamental to trust—which is the currency of leadership. However, the problem comes when we just assume that we have good character—as almost everyone does. But it can’t be assumed. Rather, it must be evidenced through daily courage and commitment when:
decisions are hard.
vulnerability is required.
reliability is needed.
execution of responsibility is essential.
fear of failure creeps in.
ambiguity and uncertainty develop.
we want to stand up for what we know is right—even when risks are involved.
These and many more situations are always hard. It is sound character that counsels and guides us as we face the challenges of leadership. Leaders are held to a higher standard and that challenge is compounded because we’re trying to balance our own self-interests, the public good of our people, and our personal imperfections.
The Basis for Accountability
Our ability to be accountable and to hold others accountable comes down to the core of our identity—as evidenced in our character, courage, and commitment. Now is a good time to take a hard look at our core. Will it facilitate accountability and serve as the guardian companion for your honor?
<<<Watch this month’s free Leading with Honor Coaching clip on this topic – Sign up and get instant access. Your information is safe with us.>>>
LE
The Complete Model for Courageous Accountability
[image error]The Engage with Honor Launch Package Special Offer is still available with any purchase from the Leading with Honor Online Store! Over 10 complimentary leadership development tools provided for personal and/or professional development –
“…Ellis demonstrates that this difference comes from having the character and courage to do the right thing. A must read for all leaders.” – Dr. J. Phillip London, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board – CACI International Inc
“I believe our country is at one of the most crucial periods in our entire history. Lee’s book represents an important ‘instruction manual’ for righting the ship.” – Bob Littell, Chief NetWeaver – NetWeaving International & The Enrichment Co.
The post 3 Ways to Avoid a Bad Leadership Reputation appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
How to Press In and Press Through with Honor
We all have those moments where we have to “press in and press through” a situation and emerge on the other side with honor — smarter, stronger, and more grateful.
Lee has created the new Resilience Checklist infographic to help pinpoint some of the 12 areas that you can strengthen in your personal development – please check it out with our compliments
The post How to Press In and Press Through with Honor appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
March 4, 2018
On This Day in Leadership History, March 4th
On this day in leadership history in 1917, Jeannette Rankin of Montana took her seat as the first woman elected to the House of Representatives. Rankin was also instrumental in initiating the legislation that eventually became the 19th Constitutional Amendment. She championed the causes of gender equality and civil rights throughout a career that spanned more than six decades.
What’s the leadership lesson? Honorable leaders want people with a variety of experience and perspectives on their team. Remember to include female leaders who can align with team values and help the team be even more successful.
Jeannette Rankin – Wikipedia
The post On This Day in Leadership History, March 4th appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
March 3, 2018
6 Ingredients of a Healthy Successful Organization
Want to know one of my client’s secret to success in his industry? It may surprise you. Here’s his “secret sauce”:
Get the right people. We need good people on our team. This is the starting place for success.
Get the right people in the right roles/jobs. When a person’s talents, interests, and passions are matched to their work, they are less stressed, more energized, and more likely to add value to our mission.
Communicate and clarify. Good communication with aligned purpose and goals is fundamental to cohesive teamwork.
Collaborate. When we have trust and work together, we have the synergy that can make 1 + 1 equal 3 (the concept that positive synergies can produce better results).
Innovate. With talented, energetic people collaborating, we get the new ideas and improvements that make us more competitive.
Grow competent healthy leaders. We need supervisors and managers who create an environment that facilitates the steps above.
In observing this leader and the group, the thing that impressed me most was a healthy balance of confidence and humility. There was a freedom and authenticity that was engaging and energizing. I can see how this company is a leader in their industry—especially when it comes to profitability.
Do you have some advice on this topic? We’d love to hear from you too – please post it below.
You can also read the entire article on this topic – please click to read – “A Successful CEO’s Advice on Staff Development”
The post 6 Ingredients of a Healthy Successful Organization appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
March 2, 2018
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, March 2, 2018
“Successful leadership has a healthy balance of confidence and humility. This sense of freedom and authenticity is engaging and energizing.” – Lee Ellis
The post Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, March 2, 2018 appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
February 28, 2018
Two FAQs on Raising Children with Responsibility
Lee Ellis FAQ – “How can I get my children to be more responsible and accountable?”
Answer – “Give them responsibilities and challenges and allow them the opportunity to succeed or fail. Help them learn resilience by being independent and bouncing back from failures. I don’t think you can go wrong by following the Courageous Accountability Model outlined in my book, Engage with Honor. You may have to scale it down a bit, but the same principles apply.”
Lee Ellis FAQ – “How can I raise my children to be honorable when the culture seems to be going in the opposite direction?”
Answer – “Walk the talk and share with them how hard it is to be honorable and also share the blessings it brings. Download a copy of the 7 core behaviors or the Honor Code and discuss each of the seven principles. Explain why they are important and how you personally have struggled with them. Maybe take one week and discuss one per night after dinner.”
[image error]These FAQs are mentioned in Lee Ellis’ latest award-winning book, Engage with Honor: Creating a Culture of Courageous Accountability.
The post Two FAQs on Raising Children with Responsibility appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
